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Published on November 21, 2014
"Our government has taken steps for further development and modernization of the armed forces so that they can move keeping pace with the entire world," she said.
"We have also set Forces Goal-2030 in the light of the Defence Policy framed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1974 to develop and make our armed forces international standard," she added.
The Prime Minister said this while addressing a reception accorded to the family members of the Bir Sreshthas and selected recipients of gallantry awards including Bir Uttam, Bir Bikram and Bir Pratik marking the Armed Forces Day 2014.
Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) Lt Gen Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Haque delivered the welcome address at the function held on the AFD premises.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and Chief of Army Staff General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral M Farid Habib and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Muhammad Enamul Bari and high civil and military officials were present.
Terming the War of Liberation as the biggest event in the history of the Bangalee nation, Sheikh Hasina said it is the responsibility of all to uphold its spirit.
"Bangladesh earned independence and got a piece of land in exchange for huge sacrifice and bloodshed of lakhs of martyrs. So it is the responsibility of all to retain the great achievement by upholding the spirit of the War of Liberation," she said.
Paying rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh was liberated as heroic freedom fighters fought risking their life responding to the call of the great leader.
"The heroic members of the armed forces as well as the people from all walks of life joined the war against the Pakistani occupation forces. As a result, Bangladesh became an independent nation and got a red-green colored national flag," she said.
Spelling out her government's various steps for the welfare of the Freedom Fighters and their successors, the Prime Minister directed the Liberation War Affairs Minister to take steps for ensuring houses, accommodations and livelihood for each of the distressed freedom fighters at the district, upazila and union levels.
She said that khash lands have been provided to a huge number of Freedom Fighters across the country side by side with allowances.
Out of the 676 gallantry award-winning freedom fighters, she said, the allowances for the Birshreshtha have been raised to Tk 12,000 per month, Tk 10,000 per month for the Bir Uttam, Tk 8,000 per month for the Bir Bikram and Tk 6,000 per month for the Bir Pratik being effected from July 2013.
The Premier said that the monthly allowances for the war-wounded Freedom Fighters have been increased from minimum Tk 9,700 to maximum Tk 30,000 from November 1, 2013 while the government has taken a decision to bring the wounded freedom fighters of the Armed Forces under the state allowances.
Pointing out that the industries and commercial institutions under the Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust were turned into loosing concerns after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, Sheikh Hasina said that her government took steps to turn those into profitable ones.
Talking about the development of the armed forces, the Prime Minister said that after assuming office, her government had taken various pragmatic steps to further enhance the strength and skill of the Armed Forces including the Army, Navy and Air Force.
She said that the operations of the Armed Forces are not only today limited in Bangladesh, rather their activities are being expanded to the entire world.
"They are shining the image of the country abroad by playing a strong role in the UN Peacekeeping Missions," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said that apart from protecting independence and sovereignty of the country, the Bangladesh Armed Forces are conducting various social welfare activities as well as contributing to the socioeconomic development.
She also said that her government is not only working for the development of the Armed Forces, but also for the overall development of the entire nation.
Sheikh Hasina said that the way the country's people had liberated Bangladesh, her government would become victorious against poverty and it would further alleviate poverty from the present level of 24.4 percent.
The Prime Minister also renewed her pledge that Bangladesh would not lag behind, rather it would continue to move ahead and would become a hunger-and-poverty-free middle income country well before 2021 and a prosperous and developed one by 2041.
She earlier handed over honorary cheque and mobile phone sets and shawls as gifts to some 59 gallantry award-winning Freedom Fighters and their successors including the close relatives of the seven Birshreshthas at the function.
Sheikh Hasina also handed over "Bahini Padak" (forces medals) and "Asamanya Seba Padak" (outstanding services medals) to 26 former and in-service armed forces officials for the year 2013-2014 as recognition to their heroic and courageous work.
-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol
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